Classical theism

Describe evil

Anything that causes pain or suffering

What is classical theism?

A term to refer to the belief in one eternal God who is omnipotent, omnibenevolent, and omniscient

What is moral evil?

Evil caused as a result of actions of a free moral agent

What is natural evil?

Evil caused by the means of force outside of the control of free-will agents (nature)

What does the logical problem of evil demonstrate?

There is a logical impossibility of the co-existence of evil and the God of classical theism (Judaism, Christianity)

What are responses to the problem of evil called?

Theodicies

What is an example of moral evil?

• theft, murder, deceit

• deliberate acts that have a wrong intention behind them

• Can be: acts of commission or omission

What are examples of natural evil?

• suffering and harm that happens because of the working of the natural world

• droughts, floods, and earthquakes

• diseases and mental illness

What is are quotes from Genesis that shows that God created the world?

‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.’ - Genesis 1:1

‘Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.’ - John 1:3

What do Christians believe that God did?

Made and designed everything, out of nothing, this is known as creation ex nihilo

What does Mackie’s problem of evil outline?

The problem arises because theists maintain that there are no limits to what an omnipotent being can do, so, the so called ‘solutions’ actually limit God’s power but misleadingly keep the term ‘omnipotence’

What don’t theodicies do?

Give a solution to the problem of evil since they have changed the premise i.e. that God is omnipotent

What does Aquinas believe?

If God can do anything, he can do evil things. However, this doesn’t fit with the idea of a loving God. So, for Aquinas, God’s omnipotence is qualified to mean that God can do anything that is within God’s nature; anything that doesn’t imply contradiction

What does Anselm argue and state relating to omniscience?

God is in the future and the past as time doesn’t exist the same way for God

What does Aquinas say that relates to benevolence?

God’s power is unlimited but that God’s nature means God will never do evil

What is the Epicurean paradox?

Either God would like to abolish evil and cannot, or he can, but doesn’t want to. However, if he wants to, but cannot, he is not omnipotent. If he can abolish evil, but he doesn’t want to, he is evil. If God can abolish evil, and he wants to, why is there evil in the world?

Who is Epicurus?

An Ancient Greek philosopher

What does Epicurus point out?

the paradox that we are presented with if God is both loving and powerful and yet evil remains

What reasoning does the Epicurean paradox use?

Deductive reasoning

Where does David Hume state that Epicurus’ old questions remain unanswered?

Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion